Medical specialists' use and opinion of video consultation in Denmark: a survey study.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101088677 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1472-6963 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14726963 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Health Serv Res Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-

COVID-19*/epidemiology; Humans ; Denmark ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Specialization ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Telemedicine ; Videoconferencing ; Remote Consultation/statistics & numerical data ; Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data ; Pandemics

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of telemedicine which is seen as a possibility to reduce the pressure on healthcare systems globally. However, little research has been carried out on video as a consultation medium in medical specialists' practice. This study investigated the use of and opinion on video consultation among specialists in Denmark.
Methods: An online survey on use of video consultation, as well as relevance of and opinion on video consultation, was distributed to all 963 medical specialists in private practice in Denmark throughout May and June 2022, resulting in 499 complete answers (response rate: 51.8%). Data were analysed using descriptive and logistic regression analyses, and data from open text fields were analysed using thematic network analysis.
Results: Among the respondents, 62.2% had never used video consultation, while 23.4% were currently using video consultation, most particularly among psychiatrists. A total of 47.3% found video consultation medically irrelevant to their specialty, especially radiologists, plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists and otorhinolaryngologists. According to the specialists, video consultation was most suitable for follow-up consultations and simple medical issues, where the patient had an established diagnosis. In these cases, mutual trust remained present in video consultations. Better access for the patients and fewer cancellations, especially for psychiatrists, were highlighted as benefits. IT problems were reported as obstacles hindering optimal use of video consultation.
Conclusion: The political aspiration to digitization in healthcare systems should be rooted in professionals' and patients' perceptions and experiences with video consultation which emphasize that it is not a standard tool for all consultations.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)

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Keywords: Acceptability of healthcare; Attitudes; Denmark; Medical specialist; Medical specialty; Remote consultation; Secondary care; Suitability; Telemedicine; Video consultation

Date Created: 20240424 Date Completed: 20240425 Latest Revision: 20240427

20240427

PMC11044495

10.1186/s12913-024-10868-6

38658946